Many people unknowingly encounter toxic substances every day. Toxic molds, pesticides, lead paint and other harmful substances can be found in any type of building, and can affect your family’s health and reduce your property value dramatically. If you believe you have been exposed to a toxic substance at home, work, school, or anywhere in Louisiana, call an experienced Lake Charles toxic exposure attorney to discuss your case. The following are just some of the toxic substances that can compromise your health and devalue your property.

Land Contamination

Many oil companies in the past drilled oil wells on land in Louisiana reaping millions in profits from the drilling only to leave the land contaminated and barren. If you feel your land was contaminated by such oil field drilling practices, please contact The Law Office of Christian D. Chesson for a free consultation. After your consultation, you may also qualify to have your land contamination tested at no fee.

Toxic Mold

Certain types of mold are toxic to humans, including stachybotrys or “black mold.” Symptoms of toxic mold exposure can include prolonged cold or flu-like symptoms, frequent headaches, bloody noses, skin rashes, chronic asthma, allergies, chest pain, pneumonia, joint pain, or even liver damage. These symptoms may not develop until months or years after exposure. Repeated daily exposure to toxic mold, such as employees in an office building, children in a classroom, or tenants in a mold-infested apartment complex are at the highest risk of toxic mold poisoning. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you receive fair compensation for your toxic mold exposure injuries. Mold not only causes health issues, but also can cause extensive damage to your property or personal belongings. Some contaminated items may be cleaned, but the procedures used to clean toxic mold contamination are costly. In the worst cases of mold contamination, the property must be discarded altogether. If your property was damaged by mold contamination, you deserve compensation for the value of lost property. Often, contaminated property cannot be replaced, such as photographs or family heirlooms. In these cases, you deserve compensation for the sentimental value of the property lost, as well.

Pesticides

Pesticides are common household and industrial chemicals that are used to kill indoor and outdoor pests, such as weeds, insects, fungus, and rodents. Although pesticides are not intended to cause harm to human beings, they often do. Agricultural laborers are exposed to pesticides every day for prolonged periods of time, which gives rise to substantial risk of toxic exposure. In addition, consumers who buy fruits and vegetables from the grocery store are exposed to pesticides – even if they wash their produce before consuming it. Exposure may occur through direct contact with the skin or through ingestion or inhalation of the pesticide in water or air. Pesticide exposure can cause serious health problems, such as neurological problems, leukemia, aplastic anemia, and other blood disorders.

Lead Paint Exposure

The Law Office of Christian D. Chesson is a personal injury law firm representing victims of lead paint exposure against landlords, toy makers, and paint manufacturers. Although the use of lead-based paint in homes has been banned by the federal government for over 30 years, children still continue to be exposed to lead every day in homes, offices, and other buildings constructed before 1978. In 1978, the government banned the use of lead in new paint sold after that year. However, many apartments, houses, and office buildings still contain lead-based paint. In addition, although lead-based paint is not currently used in products manufactured in the U.S., a recent wave of product recalls involved high levels of lead paint found in children’s toys and other products imported from foreign countries.